Back Pain Specialist
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Pain Control Center of Pittsburgh
Gerard Myers, DO
Interventional Pain Management located in Monaca, PA
At least 8% of all American adults live with chronic back pain. At the Pain Control Center of Pittsburgh in Monaca, Pennsylvania, experienced interventional pain management physician Gerard Myers, DO, MBA, and the team provide an extensive range of customized back pain services. You can maximize your function and increase your quality of life with non-surgical treatments like medical marijuana, epidural injections, and other advanced options, so call the office or schedule online now.
Back Pain Q & A
What causes back pain?
Back pain can start with chronic injuries, wear-and-tear, or chronic disease. Common causes include:
- Muscle strain
- Ligament strain
- Spinal deformity, such as scoliosis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Bulging or ruptured disc
- Spinal stenosis
- Arthritis
- Compression fractures due to osteoporosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Some factors, like extra weight, poor posture, weak core muscles, and smoking, can contribute to back pain or make it worse.
When should I consider back pain management?
Generally, it’s time to book a consultation at the Pain Control Center of Pittsburgh if your back pain lasts for more than 4-6 weeks after an injury or illness.
It’s particularly important to think about pain management if your back pain causes you to miss work or activities you enjoy, disrupts your sleep (insomnia), makes normal movements impossible, or makes you feel depressed or angry.
While these are good general guidelines, it’s important to consider how your pain affects you, rather than comparing your pain to that of others. If pain disrupts your life or is becoming difficult to live with, the Pain Control Center of Pittsburgh team can help.
What does back pain treatment involve?
The Pain Control Center of Pittsburgh offers a very long list of noninvasive and minimally invasive back pain relief options, such as:
- Physical therapy
- Electrical muscle stimulation
- Medication
- Massage therapy
- Medical marijuana
- Trigger point injections
- Lumbar epidural injections
- Transforaminal injections
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
- Osteopathic manipulative therapy
- Transforaminal injections
- Spinal cord stimulators
- Radiofrequency nerve ablation
- Implant pain pumps
Usually, back pain treatment involves a combination of treatments. For example, a treatment plan may include physical therapy, osteopathic manipulation, and massage therapy to improve strength and function, along with interventional injections for pain relief.
If you try all the non-surgical options without success and the cause of your back pain still isn’t clear, the team may recommend a discography. That type of diagnostic injection can pinpoint the exact source of your back pain. A discography is particularly useful in planning spine surgery like lumbar fusion because it helps your surgeon target the exact area causing pain.
The goal of pain management is to significantly reduce your pain and maximize your function. Ultimately, the right combination of pain management treatments can give you a dramatically better quality of life.
The Pain Control Center of Pittsburgh is the longest-standing pain management practice in the area, and the experienced team knows how to help you take control of your pain so you can live the life you want. Call the office or click on the provided link to schedule your appointment now.
